The residential aged care readiness checklist

Have you mapped the source records that evidence each of the 7 Strengthened Quality Standards (commenced 1 November 2025)?

The 7 Standards are: (1) The Individual, (2) The Organisation, (3) The Care and Services, (4) The Environment, (5) Clinical Care, (6) Food and Nutrition, (7) The Residential Community. The applicable standards depend on registration category and services. Standards 6 and 7 apply to residential care. Each standard has measurable outcomes that must be evidenced from operational records.

Is the evidence drawn from live operational records, not a separate compliance folder?

Assessors expect to see evidence from the systems you use every day — care plans, clinical records, incident registers, complaints log, training records — not from a quality system that exists only for inspections.

Do you run continuous self-assessment, not annual self-assessment?

The new Act treats compliance as a continuous obligation. A once-a-year self-assessment is no longer sufficient. The expectation is that providers identify gaps as they emerge and act on them.

Is every permanent resident's AN-ACC class recorded with an effective date?

There are 13 AN-ACC classes. Class 1 is for planned palliative care entries (NWAU 0.73). Default for new non-palliative permanent entrants is Class 99 (0.60 NWAU) until classified; Class 98 (0.73 NWAU) is the palliative default. The class drives the variable component of the daily basic subsidy.

Are reclassification triggers identified and acted on within 28 days?

When a resident's care needs change materially, the provider can request reconsideration via the My Aged Care Service and Support Portal. Missing a reclassification trigger means underclaiming for the period the resident's needs were higher than their classification.

Are AN-ACC payments reconciled monthly against Services Australia statements?

Reconciliation matters. The default Class 99 rate paid pending classification is adjusted in the next pay period — a missed adjustment is lost revenue.

Are you tracking direct care minutes against your facility's care-minute target, including RN minutes?

The sector-wide average target is 215 total care minutes (including 44 RN minutes) per resident per day, but each facility has its own target based on its residents' AN-ACC classifications. Mandatory care minutes have applied since 1 October 2023, with the 215/44 sector-average targets since 1 October 2024; both predate the Aged Care Act 2024 and continue under it. Tracking only the quarterly result means you find out you missed the target three months too late.

Have you reconciled planned RN coverage with actual attendance and any approved exemption?

An RN must be onsite and on duty at all times unless the home has an approved exemption. Keep the Department’s exemption decision and conditions with coverage evidence. Record actual gaps and the response taken; a published roster alone does not prove coverage.

Do you act on care minute shortfalls before quarter-end, not after?

If you're under target in week 6 of the quarter, you can still recover by week 13. If you discover the shortfall after the quarter has closed, the breach is on record.

Does every staff member know how to identify a reportable incident across the 8 categories?

The 8 categories are: unreasonable use of force, unlawful sexual contact or inappropriate sexual conduct, psychological/emotional abuse, unexpected death, stealing/financial coercion, neglect, inappropriate use of restrictive practices, and unexplained absence from care. SIRS has covered home and community services since 1 December 2022 and now includes Support at Home.

Is Priority 1 vs Priority 2 determined by outcome, not by severity label?

Priority 1 includes a reportable incident that has caused injury or discomfort requiring treatment that only a medical practitioner, nurse practitioner, registered nurse, psychologist or social worker can provide, reasonable grounds to report to police, unlawful sexual contact or inappropriate sexual conduct, unexpected death resulting from care delivered or not delivered, or a reportable unexplained absence during service delivery. Rules 16-5(11) requires reasonable grounds to report the absence to police; a reportable absence is Priority 1 under Rules 165A-25.

Is the Priority 1 24-hour clock running from 'aware', not 'reported'?

The 24-hour deadline starts from when the provider became aware of the incident, not when the senior team was told. Internal escalation delay is not a defence.

Are Priority 2 incidents tracked to the 30 calendar day deadline?

30 calendar days, not 30 business days. Build the deadline into your incident workflow with countdown alerts.

Is there valid informed consent on file for every restrictive practice in use?

Consent must come from the resident or, if they lack capacity, from their substitute decision-maker. The consent must be specific to the practice, time-limited, and reviewable. Blanket consent is not consent.

Does every restrictive practice have a current behaviour support plan with an active review schedule?

The behaviour support plan must show the trigger, the least-restrictive alternative considered, the practice, the review date, and the staff training requirement.

Are inappropriate restrictive-practice incidents recorded in the IMS and notified to the Aged Care Quality and Safety Commission under SIRS where reportable? NDIS reporting applies separately to NDIS-regulated supports.

The reporting framework varies by practice type. The point is: if a practice is in place, you must know what reporting it triggers.

Are you collecting data across all 14 mandatory Quality Indicators throughout the quarter?

The 14 indicators (per QI Program Manual Parts A and B): pressure injuries, restrictive practices; unplanned weight loss, falls and major injury, medication management, ADL, incontinence care, hospitalisation, workforce, consumer experience, quality of life, enrolled nursing, allied health, lifestyle officer. Late or non-submission is a compliance matter.

Are submissions made into GPMS by the 21st of the month after quarter-end?

The deadline is the 21st of October, January, April and July. Statura tracks the deadline per quarter and surfaces countdown alerts so providers aren't caught out.

Does the clinical lead sign off the QI submission before it goes in?

QI data feeds the Quality Measures domain of the public Star Ratings. A signed-off submission means the clinical lead has personally reviewed the numbers — not just received an email asking them to.

Are all room prices at or below the maximum accommodation payment amount without IHACPA approval?

From 1 July 2026 to 30 June 2027, the maximum without IHACPA approval is $789,686, indexed each 1 July. Check any above-threshold approval. MPIR is 8.51% for 1 October to 31 December 2026 and converts RAD/DAP; it does not cap room prices.

Are RAD-to-DAP conversions calculated using the MPIR formula, not a provider-set rate?

The DAP equivalent of a RAD is set by formula. Applying your own conversion rate overcharges residents who choose DAP.

Are RAD refunds tracked to the statutory deadline with the correct interest rate applied?

During the legislated refund period the Base Interest Rate (BIR), 3.75% from 1 October 2026, applies. After the deadline, the higher Maximum Permissible Interest Rate (MPIR) applies (8.51% from 1 October to 31 December 2026). Track every departure with a refund deadline alert.

Are quarterly and annual financial reports submitted on time and signed by the responsible person?

QFR care-time data supports the Staffing rating. Compliance ratings use regulatory decisions and graded audit results, not the QFR financial submission itself.

Are RAD liabilities held in compliance with Financial and Prudential Standards (Financial and Prudential Management, Liquidity and Investment)?

RADs are protected funds. Providers must maintain minimum liquidity, run prudent investment policies, and disclose to residents. Failure here is a high-severity compliance breach.

Are RAD permitted uses tracked per resident and per facility?

RAD funds may only be applied to permitted uses — capital expenditure and related debt, permitted investments, refunding refundable deposits, loans to other providers on prescribed conditions, and reasonable business losses (Act s 310; Rules 310-5 to 310-30). Non-permitted use can expose the provider to offences and enforcement action.

Is every responsible person on the register with their suitability assessment on file?

Use section 12 to identify responsible persons and section 13 for the suitability matters. Keep the provider’s assessment decision and supporting records, with review at least annually.

Are change-of-circumstance triggers (criminal conviction, bankruptcy, regulatory action) acted on within the prescribed timeframes?

Review suitability changes and notify the Commission of reportable changes within 14 days of becoming aware. Keep evidence of external notification separately from the internal register update.

Does the governing body have visibility of compliance performance, incident trends and QI data?

Give the governing body the information it needs to review quality and risk. Record decisions, assigned actions and follow-up; visibility alone does not establish that governance obligations have been met.

Does every aged care worker and responsible person hold either a police certificate no older than three years with no precluding offences, or an NDIS Worker Screening Check?

Expired checks mean the worker cannot deliver care until renewed. Use a screening expiry calendar and block rostering for expired workers automatically.

Is mandatory training (manual handling, infection control, first aid, dementia) tracked per worker with renewal dates?

Out-of-date training surfaces in ACQSC assessment contacts. The renewal calendar should drive rostering and training assignment, not the other way around.

Are SCHADS Award rates, penalty rates, allowances and minimum engagements being paid correctly?

Check the applicable award and employment arrangement. SCHADS minimum payments for part-time and casual staff are three hours for SACS work other than disability services, and two hours for other work including home care; there is no three-hour full-time minimum under this rule.

Do you know your current star rating across all four domains (Compliance, Residents' Experience, Staffing, Quality Measures)?

The public rating on My Aged Care is what families see when they're choosing a home. The four domains have different weightings — Compliance and Residents' Experience drive the highest impact.

Are residents' experience interviews scheduled and the results triaged?

The Residents' Experience domain depends on interview data. A poor result here drags the overall rating down regardless of clinical performance.

Are improvement actions tied back to specific star rating drivers?

Generic 'continuous improvement' doesn't move the rating. Improvements should target a specific QI, a specific compliance gap or a specific experience theme.

Could you produce evidence for any Strengthened Quality Standard outcome within 15 minutes of being asked?

Assessors will ask. The answer 'I'll need to find that' tells them the evidence isn't being maintained continuously.

Is the residents' rights statement displayed and accessible in resident-friendly formats?

The Statement of Rights is a centrepiece of the Aged Care Act 2024. It must be visible and the rights it confers must be respected in practice — assessors will test both.

Is the complaints register up to date and showing closed-loop responses to every complaint?

An open complaint without a documented resolution is a finding. Assessors will pull the complaints register early in the visit.

Are incident trends, QI trends and clinical indicators reviewed by the governing body at every meeting?

Board minutes should record how the governing body considers quality data, makes decisions and follows up actions. Keep evidence of the action taken as well as the discussion.